Always a Bridesmaid
by Wendish
Summary: Inspired, but not within the boundaries of Sarahinprint's Proposal Fanfic challeng - Booth proposes to Brennan. My conspiracy theory about the wedding of the decade.


_Created September 2013 - ____I don't own these characters as made famous by the TV show, Bones. Love them anyway. All the rest that follows is my feeble attempt to keep time in between broadcasts and Razztaztic, Threesquares, and Covalent Bond postings._

A/N 9/21/2013 -This is a fic written in the spirit, but yet definitely NOT AT ALL in the boundaries of SarahInPrints's fic challenge:

Booth proposes to Brennan.

Rules:  
1. Less than 2,000 words  
2. No mention of Pelant  
3. Christine is not physically in the story (she can be mentioned, but she is not present)  
4. A unique ring is involved.

One of my wedding fantasies re: current Bones canon is that the Booth & Angela iciness is contrived. And scene...

* * *

"It's your fault, really...that I've decided to do this. Angela sighed.

"**_You_** reminded me – we have been married for three years. I think our family history is odd enough that we need to give Michael SOME bit of normalcy."

"Did you know that President Harding was ridiculed for using a malapropism when he said "a return to normalcy" during the 1920 election? Many believed he made the up phrase, not using the more common term "normality."

Brennan stabbed distractedly at her salad. "But further evidence revealed that the term was not neologistic, as it had presence in dictionaries as far back as 1857…."

Angela stared, annoyed. "While I enjoy the random factoid as much as anybody – _Vincent_ – we're talking about Jack and me renewing our vows here, Honey."

Brennan was surprised at being called by another name, let alone that of her dead intern, but she understood Angela's intention.

"Sorry, Ange." She offered a strained smile. "This _is_ good news! But why is a wedding ceremony normal?"

"Compared to a former bizillionaire, mad scientist father? Bi-sexual artist-slash-computer genius mother? Love child of a rockstar? Work with dead for a living? Shall I continue?" Angela eyed Brennan with mirth.

Brennan snickered. Angela was right, she and Hodgins had quite a colorful past.

"Michael deserves a little 'plain vanilla' family history. Besides, with Sweets & Daisy broken up, Cam and Arastoo being so private; and you and Booth going through - whatever the hell it is you're going through - we all need a healthy dose of shipping."

"Shipping?"

"Yeah, you know when people root for a couple to…"

"Oh, I know what shipping means, Ange. I'm a best-selling author." Brennan replied. "Brennan-ites love to ship Kathy and Andy. I just never applied it to the context of real people. Booth and I are**_ fine_**, Angela."

Angela stabbed a cherry tomato, not convinced. "Oh yeah? Then why aren't the two of you married?"

Brennan frowned. She loved Angela like a sister and knew she only wanted the best for her, yet Brennan was becoming more and more irritated at Angela's hostility towards Booth.

Recalling Booth's words: "….I would do anything for you. I would die for you and I would kill for you, but I am not getting in between two best friends…"

Why did Angela not understand?

Instead of confronting one best friend, Brennan chose to defend another. "Booth has - some issues he is trying to address, Angela. I don't question his love and commitment to me and Christine, and I choose to have faith in him." Her eyes locked with Angela to emphasize her resolve.

Angela sat back in her seat, dubious. "I'll believe it when I see it, Sweetie. You and Booth could live the rest of your lives doing the same things as usual, which would be fine, but who wants to settle for second best?"

Brennan stopped chewing mid-kale, feeling as if she had heard Angela's words before.

Angela continued "But I bet you have a lot of pent-up wedding planning energy that you'll need to burn in the meantime, right? Help me plan the ceremony?"

Brennan looked at Angela incredulously. Why on Earth would Brennan want to help with that?

"C'mon, Honey! Plan my ceremony like it was your own! I think I've exhausted my creative juices here… look at my history! I jumped over a broom. Then, I plan everything and #fail, and the third time it was in jail! You're the cultural anthropologist – show me how it's done!"

Like Booth, Angela knew just how to stroke the genius' ego. "Well, I do have a wealth of knowledge…"

Angela hopped, excited that she had hooked Brennan. "Thank you!" she beamed. The only thing that I want to do is pick our dresses. Oh! And I want Michael and Christine in the ceremony! I've already spoken to my dad and he's agreed to fund the whole affair, the sky's the limit!"

Brennan smiled warmly at her friend, knowing that even though she would never admit it, Angela did miss some of the amenities that Hodgins' wealth had afforded. "Okay!"

Angela bit her lip. "Actually, there's one more thing. Dad's traveling that weekend. He can't give me away. Can I borrow Max?"

* * *

Brennan walked in the house to find Booth and Christine practicing acrobatics. Christine squealed with delight as Booth balanced her stance on top of his knees. Brennan plopped unceremoniously on the sofa.

"Mommy!" Christine cheered "Looka me! Looka me!"

Both parents chuckled at Christines's glee when she successfully "stuck" her (Daddy-led) dismount. Brennan cheered her little girl as Christine released both hands from Booth and darted into her arms.

Christine snuggled into Brennan's arms as they lay across two cushions. He observed the exhaustion in Brennan's body language. "Angela's got you running, huh?"

Brennan looked up from tickling their daughter. With a sigh, she began "Yes! I have full control over all aspects of the ceremony, except one – the dresses. Angela's monopolizing all my time and energy on them. It's my own fault. When I suggested that we bring Chinese tradition into the ceremony, she became obsessed with the concept of multiple dresses. I'm afraid that we'll have several wardrobe changes, Christine! Which means multiple shopping trips and fittings..." She sighed again.

Booth stood to join the girls on the sofa. He pulled Brennan's legs up to his lap, as she shifted to lie with her back to the side. Christine crawled under Brennan to help her Daddy take off Mommy's boots. Well, mostly, she played with the zippers. "It sounds like that episode of Friends when Monica put Phoebe in charge of cups." He chuckled.

Wearily, Brennan eyed Booth in confusion. He offered a 'nevermind' shake of his head. "Hodgins and I went ring shopping yesterday, he mentioned that Angela is in bridezilla mode." He saw her eyes sadden at his words.

"Well, she's entitled. This ceremony means a lot to her."

"Yeah, I'm surprised that she let Hodgins keep me as the best man, seeing how pissed she is at me." Studying her frown, he asked softly, "You're not using all of your wedding plans on this ceremony, are you, Bones?"

Her eyes darted away from his. "No, of course not. It's just that I want to meet Angela's request to plan the wedding that I want. I know that we'll have our own celebration. One day."

His shoulders tensed. He smiled a resigned grin. Knowing that the little prick had made him unable to say the words that she needed – no, deserved to hear - he knew he would kill the bastard.

"Booth...".

"It's okay, Bones." He patted her legs. "I've made a tofu stir fry. Came out pretty good. Let me plate it up. Dining room?"

"Uh yeah." Sadly, she watched him head into the kitchen. Then she turned to Christine who continued to occupy herself with the boots.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed a blue light in the corner of the TV had just flashed and turned orange. "Were you and Daddy watching TV?"

Christine smiled, uncomprehendingly. Brennan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you were watching those ridiculous kung fu movies again, hmm? Come, let's get washed for dinner! What Yummy has Daddy made?"

* * *

"What do you mean you have to pee, Ange? Roxy…_the kids_ have already gone down the aisle and Cam's about to start!"

"Sorry Sweetie! When you've gotta go…" Angela fidgeted. In another nod to her heritage, Angela wore a beautiful red cap-sleeved dress. The top was fitted lace and the skirt, a straight red satin drop from the waist down to her calves. Each of her bridesmaids wore the same dress in white, but with a red satin bow where skirt began. She tossed her bouquet into Brennan's hands and headed toward the restroom in the vestibule between the church entrance and the pews.

"Argggh!" Brennan was pissed. Why had Angela let her start the music if she knew she had to urinate? She was ruining what Brennan had worked so hard to orchestrate! Cam caught her eye.

"Dr. Brennan, everything will be just fine! Take a deep breath, okay? I will super-slow walk down the aisle, then when I hit the middle mark, the doors will open, and then you'll head down, okay? By the time you're at the middle mark, Angela will be on her way, okay?"

Dubious of Cam's assurances, Brennan agreed. She shook her head. Cam turned towards Oliver. Oliver popped his head into the vestibule, and then let Cam enter. Brennan turned to her grinning father.

"You look gorgeous honey." Tears filled his eyes.

"Yes, I know, Max. Why are you crying?" she inquired.

"I just wish that your mother could see what an amazing, beautiful woman that you've turned out to be. She would be so proud."

"I know." She replied but tenderly. "Max, you've got to keep it together if you're going to make it down the aisle. Will you be okay?"

He patted her hand. "Yes, Baby. More than okay."

Returning focus back to the wedding, she wondered "Why wasn't Cam yet down the aisle?" Looking at Oliver, she spat "What's going on?"

"It's almost your turn Dr. Brennan, just not quite yet."

Brennan frowned her annoyance. She pushed her too smug intern out of the way. She peeked through the door just in time to see that Clark and Wendell were closing the door, just having let Angela down the aisle. The skirt of Angela's dress was still red, but she had changed the top of her dress to match the white lace that all the other bridesmaids had worn…why the hell was she going down the aisle?

Brennan felt arms slip around her waist as Daisy appeared from nowhere and removed the red bow to replace it with a lace train. Startled by the action, Brennan froze in disbelief….what was going on? Still silent, Daisy grinned at her perplexed mentor before she and Oliver entered the vestibule.

Brennan looked down at Angela's bouquet, realizing that it was daisies and daffodils. Mouth agape, she turned to her Dad, who simply grinned and said "C'mon Honey, let me have the honor of walking you down the aisle to the best man we both know."

In the vestibule, Max whispered to Tempe the need-to-know plan that Booth had devised. They were being watched, so Booth had used the Enigma machine to message a few unusual requests to Hodgins.

**T**ell a**N**gie: please **A**ct hosti**L**e to me. renew your vows. make bon**E**s **P**lan it. everyone will love the look back.

The Enigma machine was good enough security, Booth threw in the less-than-cryptic message just to make Hodgins smile.

Until everyone had arrived at the church, only Booth, Angela, and Hodgins knew what was about to happen (Imagine Hank Booth's surprise when an equally clueless Clark Edison showed up at the retirement home that morning with instructions only to bring him to church).

Max learned the plan just minutes earlier. Learning of the serial killer's threat, he knew that this walk down the aisle would be the brief point of joy, before the weasel popped his head up again. He nodded with pride at his soon-to-be-son-in-law and the role that he'd need to play after the ceremony to stop the killer.

Brennan was still shocked. On the bride's side sat Roxy, next to Amy, Russ and the girls beside her. In Roxy's place stood Zach, who simply beamed. On the groom's side, Marianne blotted her eyes with a handkerchief passed to her by Jared, who was next to Padme, Pops, and Parker (holding Christine).

**_This was her wedding._**

She locked eyes with her partner, her lover, her best friend, the man who had suffered all these months. He stood, watching her (as he so often did) – solemnly, with curiosity, with hope, love, and a little fear.

With an elated smile and a deep breath, she put her brain in neutral and put her heart in overdrive.


End file.
